Thomas Earl Page
’80

Published in Apr. 20, 2005, issue

Tom Page was a mercurial soul who entered Princeton with the Class of 1979, took a year off, joined the Class of 1980, and departed after his sophomore year.

Tom grew up on the Main Line outside of Philadelphia, and honed his incredible squash skills at Merion Cricket Club and at Episcopal Academy, where he played on a string of national championship teams. He was bright, but always marched to the beat of a different drummer.

Tom was often seen as an offbeat genius with a racquet, and his play was brilliant. Tom's apparent eccentricity turned out to be schizophrenia. This illness eventually so dominated Tom's life, that he fell victim to a series of addictions that contributed to a massive heart attack that killed him in May 2001 on the streets of Manhattan. He was 44. Before his fall, Tom lit up the world of professional squash in a way that truly reflected his unique talents and will to win.

Tom achieved top rankings as junior player, as an adult amateur, and as a professional (in doubles). He was an intercollegiate finalist in his freshman year. It was a joy to watch Tom's catlike quickness and aversion to playing it safe. His games seemed like a microcosm of his life: played on the edge.